I have had the unique privilege and pleasure to be surrounded by a number of strong, beautiful, wonderful mothers in my life; mothers who have guided me and shown me love, laughter and joy. Each woman has impacted me in some way or another, which has inevitably shaped me into the woman I am today and hopefully the mother I will be one day.
I know I am not always the easiest person to mother. I’m stubborn, a trait probably inherited from the fathers in my life, and I’m strong willed, but these women have never given up on me.
So on this Mother’s Day I want to take the time to let them know just how much they mean to me. This letter is for you all, a small token of my gratitude for putting up with me all these years.
To my grandmothers, I want to say thank you for being the pillars and matriarchs that keep our family strong. You all have shared with me your love for cooking and baking and family and I hope to keep that love going for all the generations to come.
To the godmothers in my life, Aunt Mary and Aunt Rosa, you have shown me how important family is. You both have always been there for me, whether it be in attendance at whatever event is taking place in my life, or when I needed help on a school project or with my hair for senior pictures. Thank you for showing me how important it is to keep your family close and to always support them.
To Nana, thank you for bringing laughter into my life. There have been times when I couldn’t always take it, you know what I mean, but in the end I have always appreciated it. You have shown me that it is okay to laugh at yourself and to not take everything so seriously. And you have always been there when I needed you. Thank you.
To Mrs. Quinones, you were the mother I never knew I needed. You guided me through four insane years of high school, while simultaneously imparting a lifetime’s worth of laughter, wisdom, and secrets. You always knew when something was wrong and gave me the strength to continue on. Thank you for sharing my love of tea and for putting up with my crazy perfectionist self.
Finally, to my true mother, the woman who gave me my looks and my life’s blood, thank you for being my mother. Thank you for everything you do for me. You may not think I always see it, but I know. I know that you stayed up an insane amount of hours to finish my Halloween costumes. I know how hard you worked to make that crazy dish for my Spanish Club. I know all the sleep you lost just so you could get me to 5am cross country practice. I know everything, but I haven’t always said thank you. Well, I’m saying it now. You do so much for me and for my brothers, sometimes forgetting about yourself. You have always supported me and believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. You put up with me during those crazy teenage years where our relationship sometimes bordered on Emily and Lorelai yet you never once gave up. Thank you. You mean so much to me and I never want you to think I don’t appreciate you, because I do. I appreciate everything you do and I love you. From now on, you be my Lorelai and I’ll be your Rory.
Sometimes when we take a step back and look at our lives we notice just how many people have impacted us. For me, it was these women who changed my life. Thank you to every single one of them.
I love you all, Happy Mother’s Day.